A SIPOC Map for Standing Up a New GCC Function

Define the Process Scope

Start by naming the function. Examples: automated testing, cloud migration, or supply chain analytics. Write a one-line description. Example: “Automate end-to-end regression testing for the ERP module.”

Identify Suppliers

List who provides what before the process starts.

• Business units that define requirements
• IT infrastructure teams that provision environments
• Vendor partners that supply tools
• Data stewards that curate datasets

Write each supplier as a noun phrase. Example: “Product Owners provide acceptance criteria.”

List Processes

Break the function into sequential steps.

• Gather requirements
• Design test cases
• Build automation scripts
• Execute tests
• Report results
• Update defect backlog

Keep each step to one action. Avoid compound steps like “design and execute.” Split them.

Identify Customers

Who consumes the output?

• QA managers who review reports
• Development teams who fix defects
• Release managers who approve deployments
• Finance teams who track cost savings

Write each customer as a noun phrase. Example: “Release Managers receive pass/fail metrics.”

Define Outputs

Specify what each step produces.

• Requirements document
• Test case suite
• Automation scripts
• Test execution logs
• Defect report
• Updated backlog

Link each output to its process step.

Assign Metrics

Choose one metric per process step.

• Requirements: % complete
• Design: # of cases
• Build: script coverage
• Execute: run time
• Report: defect count
• Update: backlog accuracy

Use numbers, not words.

Map the Flow

Draw a simple table.

Supplier	Process	Customer	Output	Metric
Product Owners	Gather requirements	QA team	Requirements document	% complete
IT infrastructure	Provision environments	Dev teams	Test environments	Uptime %
QA engineers	Design test cases	Dev teams	Test case suite	# of cases
QA engineers	Build automation scripts	Dev teams	Automation scripts	Script coverage
QA engineers	Execute tests	Release managers	Test execution logs	Run time
QA engineers	Report results	Finance teams	Defect report	Defect count
QA engineers	Update backlog	Product Owners	Updated backlog	Backlog accuracy

Validate with Stakeholders

Review the map with each supplier and customer.

Ask: “Is this input available?” “Is this output useful?” “Is this metric trackable?”

Fix gaps before launch.

Use the Map for Launch

Tie each process step to an owner.

Track metrics weekly.

Adjust the map as the function matures.

A SIPOC map turns vague plans into concrete steps. It forces clarity on who does what, what they need, and how success is measured.